In figures: About 7.3 million U.S. households – 5.5% of the country’s 134 million – reported owning at least one electric vehicle, according to the 2025 American Community Survey released Thursday.
- Homeowners reported owning electric vehicles at a rate of 6.4%, compared to 3.6% of renters.
- California leads the nation with an overall rate of 13.8%, more than double the national rate.
- North Dakota (1.3%), Wyoming (1.6%) and Louisiana (1.6%) rank among the lowest.
State of play: For the first time, the Census Bureau asked households with a vehicle at home whether they owned or leased an electric vehicle, providing a nationwide snapshot of who has gone electric.
- The figures cover fully electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids.
Our thought bubble: Many factors, including local government policies, can influence electric vehicle adoption rates, but ultimately it comes down to affordability and access to charging, » says Joann Muller, Axios Transportation correspondent.
- Homeowners with higher incomes are more likely to afford electric vehicles, sometimes as a second car.
The plot: A 2026 study by researchers at the University of Vermont and the University of California, Davis, found higher costs for installing home chargers in rental properties in Burlington, Vermont.
- Renters were also less likely to adopt fully electric vehicles, even after researchers took into account the value of their homes and their vehicle preferences.
Zoom: Even California, the nation’s leader in electric vehicles, has a significant divide between homeowners and renters, according to new census data.
- About 17.7% of owners reported owning an electric vehicle, compared to 8.9% of renters.
- Santa Clara County, home to much of Silicon Valley, leads the nation with 24.1 percent of households, or about 163,000 households.
Zoom out: Washington (8.9%), Hawaii (8.5%) and Nevada (8.2%) rank among the leading states.
- Outside of California, Boulder County, Colorado, and Loudoun County, Virginia, each recorded 13.9%.
Yes, but: California renters reported owning electric vehicles at a higher rate than homeowners nationwide.
- Census figures do not track access to charging or explain why households choose electric vehicles.
- With only one year of data, they also can’t tell us whether the gap between homeowners and renters has widened.
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